Summary
French Revolution Summary Document
- Course
- Institution
Includes key dates, facts, analysis of all events within the French Revolution A-Level Specification that may be needed for the exam
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
ethandoc79
Content preview
The causes of the French revolution from 1774 and the events of 1789Structure of the Ancien Regime
Government based on absolute monarchy- societal structure based on privilege
First Estate: Clergy
130,000 Clergy- Parish priests were poor and had more in common with the peasantry. Bishops and
Abbots were of noble background and very wealthy.
Had own courts
Exemptions from direct taxation and most indirect taxes
Collected own tax (tithe) from the population- money rarely seen by Parish priests
Monopoly on education and healthcare
The privileged position meant it generally supported the monarchy. Church owned about 10% of the
land in France.
Second Estate: Nobility
100-400,000 nobles- many types- e.g. Nobility of the Sword ( descendants of old feudal nobility) and
Nobility of the Robe (Gained noble status through official post or purchasing a post-sale of venal
offices raised revenue for the Crown and provided a pension and stipend)
Exemption from direct tax
Exempt from some punishments under the law
Right to bear a sword and access to officer status in the army (for established nobility)
Some nobles were very wealthy, others poorer and guarded their privileges which distinguished them
from the Third Estate.
Third Estate: Bankers and peasants etc
About 96% of the population- lacked the privileges of the other two classes.
Bourgeoisie: Ranged from wealthy financiers- who sought to gain noble status, and shopkeepers and
Master craftsmen who saw themselves above the peasants but were frustrated at the lack of
advancement.
Urban Workers: Skilled workers and shopkeepers living in towns and cities. Formed the bulk of the
‘sans-culottes’.
Peasants: Worked the land- subject to heavy dues and taxes
Direct taxes- e.g. taille and vingtieme
Indirect taxes- e.g. the Gabelle
Tithes
Payments on crops grown
France was predominantly an agricultural, feudal nation- and bread prices had huge effects. High
bread prices led to unemployment and unrest if there was a bad harvest.
The King
Power was absolute e.g. could imprison people without trial. Appointed his ministers and the 34
intendants (responsible for different regions).
,13 Parlements had the power to register royal edicts- this was usually a formality- but they could
criticise edicts and ask the monarch to reconsider. King could override the parlements with a Lit de
Justice.
Qualities of Louis XVI as King of France
Absolute monarchy was inherently personal monarchy, and the abilities values company and character
of the monarch affected the nature and strength of his rule. Louis XVI was lacking in all these areas.
He had a general disinterest in government business and discussions with ministers. He was
also rumoured to be impotent because of the long delay in the arrival of Marie Antoinette’s
first child, the parentage of whom was a cause of scandalous speculation. Marie Antoinette
did not help him, she represented the hated Austrian alliance which had brought defeat in
1763, and her activities were less than desirable to the French people regardless of whether
they were true or not.
Louis was also hesitant and indecisive, and his reign was marked by constant changes in
direction or a lack of direction. He passed reform and then retreated from it, and he frequently
changed ministers whenever pressure was mounting. The paralysis of effective government
helped ensure the success of the revolution of 1789. Why is this?
1. It was the Crown's failure in the autumn of 1788 to decide on the issue of voting by head,
whilst conceding double representation. This helped focus attention on the role of privilege.
2. Louis failed to take the lead in the EG in May, which helped provoke the crisis in June and
the declaration of a National Assembly by the 3rd estate.
3. If he wasn't indecisive he could have won the 3rd Estate as an ally against the privileged
orders by timely concessions. But, his hesitancy turned the third estate against him as well as
the privileged orders.
Financial Problems and attempts by Turgot, Necker and Calonne to fix
them
The Crown had enormous financial debt due to the cost of war, high expenditure, poor financial
administration and insufficient tax revenue. To finance this debt, they borrowed more, but this only
added to the debt. (Annual deficit of 100 million livres)
War
France took part in three major wars- these were costly and for 1. And 2. -resulted only in losses.
Gains from the AWoI were minimal, resulting in even greater debt.
1. War of Austrian Succession (1740-48)
2. Seven Years War (1756-63)
3. American War of Independence (1779-83)
Royal Court
Versailles was expensive to maintain and the crown spent much on maintaining glamour and pomp.
Marie Antoinette was nicknamed ‘Madame Defict’. Crown spending on the port at Cherbourg and on
royal palaces like Saint-Cloud further contributed, as well as the cost of royal patronage (e.g. gifts,
pensions, venal offices etc).
Poor financial management
Lack of uniformity in the tax system- tax privileges of the 1st and 2nd estates meant wealthy individuals
were going untaxed, and taxation was calculated differently across the departments.
, Inefficiency in collection- Corruption contributed to tax inefficiency, the Farmers-General collected
some taxes whilst others were the responsibility of venal offices. There was no unified accounting
system making it difficult to judge revenue and expenditure.
This meant delays and shortfalls in income, which made the Crown reliant on credit for day-to-day
expenditure.
Turgot’s Reforms (1776)
Proposed to introduce stricter accounting procedures, reductions in the number of contracted officials,
and pressure on the Farmers General. He hoped to free up the grain trade and abolish guilds to
increase the food supply and stimulate economic growth. He was opposed by rival ministers such as
Maurepas and the Paris Parlement refused to register the edicts. Louis XVI failed to stand by his
minister, and the reform package collapsed. France's decision to support Americans in their fight for
independence in 1778 further strained the royal finances.
Necker’s Reforms (1778-1781)
He raised cash through loans and financial reforms. Raised 150 million leaves in short-term loans, cut
the number of venal offices, and ensured stricter supervision of royal accounts. This financial reform
was not coupled with general economic reform and was partly supported by the kings and other
ministers. His attempts to control the level of war expenditure aroused opposition, and the public
nature of the compte rendu (the publicising of royal accounts) was felt to damage the prestige of the
monarchy. He was also Protestant (in a Catholic country). Louis XVI abandoned him in 1781. RIP
Necker, you were one of the good ones ☹, definition of standing on business.
Calonne’s Reforms (1783)
Calonne needed to shore up the monarchy's weak financial position. He did this by reassuring
creditors by promptly paying the interest on loans, and by spending more money by purchasing a new
royal palace at Saint-Cloud. However, from 1784 to 85, the Paris Parlement refused to register new
loans and the interest rates demanded by financiers began to rise. Calonne decided he needed to come
clean about the state of royal finances, and proposed a reformed tax structure that would remove tax
privileges of the nobility. This would require public endorsement and therefore convened the
Assembly of Notables. They gathered in February 1787, this assembly was comprised of large
numbers of the nobility who shat on Calonne’s proposed measures. As such Louis replaced him with
Brienne, which failed to have an effect- with the Notables declaring only an Estates General could
approve new taxation.
Post-Calonne descent toward the Estates-General
Brienne tried to press forward with watered-down Calonne reforms. But the necessary edicts were
refused by the Paris parliament. Who reinforced the idea that the Estates-General could only approve
new taxation. This popular move compounded the monarchy's problems and the decision to exile the
parliament from Paris in August 1787 increased public hostility. The king tried to push through with a
Lit de Justice- this further stimulated protest and in May 1788 the parliament issued a declaration of
what it believed were the ‘fundamental rights’ and asserted the need to call an Estates-General. The
monarchy ordered drastic reform of the parlements but there were riots in provincial capitals across
France. The treasury was empty by August 1788.
Ya boi Necker is back for round 2. This reassured creditors, but he could do little until the Estates-
General.
Why did reforms fail?
1. Financial reforms were often coupled with unpopular economic reforms.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ethandoc79. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $14.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
52510 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now